After days of speculation, Kensington Palace has finally released the name of Prince William and Kate Middleton's third child.
Back in early September, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced they were expecting their third child, who would eventually become fifth in line for the British throne.
As with Middleton's two previous pregnancies, she suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum during her first trimester and was put on bedrest, which forced her to miss her son Prince George's first day of school.
Fans of the royal family went into a frenzy on April 23 when it was announced the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labor at St. Mary's Hospital. The public anxiously awaited details on the new prince or princess, and even camped outside the medical center in full Union Jack gear.
Luckily, royal watchers didn't have to wait too long for the answers, as Kensington Palace shared the news everyone was waiting for.
"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news," the official Kensington Palace Twitter account.
But, the only thing missing from the declaration was the little bundle of joy's name.
The guessing game
In the days leading up to the new baby's birth, bookies began taking bets on what the third child's moniker would be. While William and Middleton only waited two days before sharing their older two children's names with the public, it's believed the royal parents waited until after Anzac Day, in an effort to not outshine the commemorative holiday for Australia and New Zealand's fallen soldiers.
The top contenders for female names were Alice, Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria, but when the public found out the couple would welcome a healthy baby boy into the world, they narrowed down the pool to Albert, Henry, James and Philip, with Alexander and Arthur as the top contenders.
But, it has finally been revealed William and Middleton chose a name that was slightly unexpected: Louis!
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son Louis Arthur Charles," Kensington Palace said in a statement on April 27. "The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge."
The significance
Even though the public may be surprised with Louis's moniker (pronounced Loo-ee), it actually carries significance.
While Louis has been more commonly used in the French monarchy, it was also the name of Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was Prince Charles's great-uncle and beloved mentor. He was described by the heir of the throne as and was described by the royal as "the grandfather I never had."
Mountbatten played a significant role for the Royal Navy during both World Wars, where he was named the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command in the latter.
Following the wars, he was in charge of overseeing India's transition from British India to its own independent country. Among his long list of achievements were becoming the First Sea Lord in the Navy and then Chief of the Defence Staff, who is the top military adviser to the Prime Minister. Sadly, his life was cut short when his fishing boat was bombed by the IRA in 1979.
"At the time I could not imagine how we would come to terms with the anguish of such a deep loss," Charles said in 2015 when he went to visit Mountbatten's death site for the first time.
"Through this dreadful experience I now understand in a profound way the agonies borne by others on these islands of whatever faith or political persuasion," he added.
Meeting the family
While Louis only born earlier this week, it wouldn't be long until his siblings and extended family went to meet him. While Middleton was at the hospital, William brought the couple's other two children to meet their youngest sibling.
According to the Duke, both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were thrilled to have a new addition to the family, and would be up all night with Louis for the weeks to come.
"It's unlikely they'll be asleep when William and Kate arrive home. They'll be up all night, excited about their new brother," an insider told Us Weekly.
Middleton's pregnant sister Pippa also went to visit her new nephew at Kensington Palace the day after Louis was born, just before her parents and brother were introduced to the newborn.
While Charles has yet to meet little Louis, he said he was thrilled to be a grandfather a third time over.
"We are both so pleased at the news," Charles said in a statement. "It is a great joy to have another grandchild, the only trouble is I don't know how I am going to keep up with them."
Going for a fourth?
Now that William and Middleton are a family of five, there is speculation on whether they will eventually add more children to their royal brood.
According to PEOPLE, the residents of Bucklebury (the village where Middleton's parents live) believe the couple will take Queen Elizabeth II's lead and have another child.
"I reckon Kate will try to emulate the Queen and have four!" one villager said. "Carole's a very close grandmother, so she and Michael will be beaming from ear to ear."
However, others are under the impression the Middleton and William's family is complete. Since they're getting older and there are obvious struggles of caring for a newborn, it's been reported that the Duchess had to convince her husband to expand their family for a third time.
"As one of three, Kate wanted at least three. William was more reluctant, not just because he was one of two, but because George was quite a difficult baby." a source close to the royal family said.
"Then they had Charlotte and she was a lot easier. Now the idea of a newborn doesn't seem half as challenging, they've done it twice before and they've got all their staff in place," they added.
Despite the odds against a fourth child, we won't be surprised if the Duke and Duchess eventually announce another pregnancy in the near future.
Did you correctly guess the royal baby's name? If not, tell us what you thought it would be!
